Chapter 60
Camilla stepped forward, her smile gleamed with an almost fervent intensity, her eyes sparkling. "Hi, I'm Camilla," she said, her voice dripping with honeyed warmth. "It's nice to meet you. You're very handsome, I must confess." Her gaze lingered on him, her words laced with an unmistakable flirtation. "You know, one thing about me is telling people the truth about them," she continued, her hand extending for a handshake.
But before she could finish, hyun min swept her aside, her eyes widening in shock as she stumbled backward. The sound of her indignant gasp was lost to the wind, swallowed whole by the vast expanse of the mountain. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all, the sound dying on my lips as our eyes met.
He strode towards me, his long strides devouring the distance between us with an almost predatory ease.
"Let's talk," he said, his voice low, my voice barely audible over the rustling of leaves and the distant call of a bird, "Talk about what?"
"I'll be down....." he said, his words hanging in the air like a challenge,With that, he turned and began his descend the mountain, the rugged terrain seeming to pose no obstacle to his long, purposeful strides.
As I glanced at Camilla, I saw a tumult of emotions etched on her face - confusion, and a hint of wounded pride. A silent understanding passed between us, a wordless plea for explanation that I couldn't possibly provide. I turned, hurrying after him, the mountain's wild beauty unfolding around me.
*
*
As I hurried behind him, our descent down the mountain seemed to stretch on endlessly. The rugged terrain posed no challenge to his long strides, and I struggled to keep up. "What is it that you want to discuss?" I asked, my voice laced with a mixture of frustration and curiosity.
He didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on some point ahead. But then, without warning, he stopped and turned to face me. His eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body.
"Will you room with me?" he said, his voice low and husky.
I looked at him, my eyes widened in shock, and a burst of sarcastic laughter escaped my lips. "You can't be serious. You're suggesting we share a living space? As roommates?" My voice dripped with skepticism.
His gaze intensified, his eyes narrowing slightly as he replied, "Must I spell it out for you?"
I shook my head, trying to inject some reason into the conversation. "We're barely acquaintances. The idea of us co habiting is absurd." I paused, searching for a rational explanation. "Besides, societal norms dictate a certain decorum between men and women. It's not exactly...proper."
A wry smile spread across his face, and he chuckled softly. "Societal norms are made to be broken. And who would ever find out, anyway?"
I glared at Hyun Min, my eyes blazing with indignation as I turned to face him. My gaze pierced the air like shards of ice, and I could feel the venom in my voice as I spoke. "I can never agree to that," I declared, my words firm and resolute. Each syllable was a deliberate rejection of his proposal, and I could see the surprise flicker across his face.
"It's obvious you're not thinking clearly," I added, my tone unwavering. With a swift motion, I spun around to leave. I was determined to get out of there, to escape the suffocating weight of Hyun Min's presence.
But his words halted me mid-step, his voice low and calculated. "If you agree, I'll forget about all the debts you owe." My head jerked back, my gaze snapping towards him like a whip cracking through the air. My eyes locked onto his, and I could feel my determination hardening into steel.
"I'll pay the debt," I said, my voice cold and detached. Each word was a testament to my unshakeable resolve. I would not be swayed.
Hyun Min closed the distance between us, his strides eating up the space with an unnerving intensity. His eyes locked onto mine, his gaze seemed to bore into my very soul. "Then..why refuse?" he asked, his voice low and serious, the words vibrating through the air.
He stopped right in front of me, his face mere inches from mine. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin, and it made my skin crawl. "A lot of girls would die for that offer," he said, his words whispering against my skin like a dark promise.
I met his gaze head-on, my eyes flashing with defiance. "I'm not one of them," I said, my voice steady and firm.
Hyun Min's gaze intensified, his eyes searching for weakness,But I stood firm, my resolve unshaken. I would not be intimidated, I would not be swayed. I held his gaze, my eyes locked onto his, and I knew that I was not backing down.
I stood firm, my voice an unwavering cadence that resonated through the space between us. "I just got a friend, and I wouldn't dream of abandoning her. Sharing a room with you is out of the question." My words hung in the air like an unshakeable conviction, a testament to my unrelenting loyalty.
Hyun min's response was a careless whisper, his tone a dismissive breeze that rustled the leaves of my patience. "Who cares?" he said, his words laced with an inconsiderate nonchalance that made my annoyance simmer like a pot about to boil over.
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I regarded him with a steady gaze. "Frankly, I'm not surprised by your lack of empathy," I said, my voice a calm and measured response to his thoughtless query. "You've consistently shown a disregard for others' feelings, and this is just another example of that." My words were a statement of fact, a declaration of the expectations I had come to harbor about his behavior.
But to my surprise, his demeanor shifted like the wind, his voice softening into a calmer tone that was almost...vulnerable. "Well, I don't want to be alone," he said, his words a quiet confession that caught me off guard. "So, I need someone's presence around me..and I don't know why I thought of you" The words hung in the air like a whispered secret, a glimpse into the depths of his soul that I had not expected.
He turned to leave, his movements swift and decisive, like a shadow melting into the darkness. I watched him go, feeling a mix of surprise and curiosity that lingered like the faint scent of a perfume. His sudden vulnerability had caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but wonder what lay beneath his usual aloof exterior, what secrets he kept hidden behind the mask of his indifference.